By Nicholas Akasula
To many people, Humphrey Kiyingi is simply Hum Kay, the worship leader whose songs have ministered to believers for years. But behind the music is a story of loss, struggle and God’s faithfulness.
The name Hum Kay comes from Humphrey Kiyingi, which he adopted when he joined the music industry.
Even today, memories of losing his father remain fresh.
“My father passed away the week before Christmas. We buried him on Monday, and Christmas was on Wednesday. It was a strange Christmas, but we thank God for the years we had with him,” he says.
Years earlier, tragedy had already struck when his mother died while he was in Senior Four preparing for his mock examinations. Before then, she had travelled abroad for cancer treatment, leaving him in the care of his aunt and uncle.
Life at school was anything but easy. School fees were a constant struggle and there were days when he stayed at school without food because he did not have a meal card.
“Sometimes my guardians pleaded with the headmaster not to send me home. When I remained at school, I survived on meal cards from classmates who were not using them,” he recalls.
Those experiences left him longing for the love and security of a father. So when he first heard the Gospel and learnt about God as a loving Heavenly Father, the message touched him deeply.
Later, while studying at Busoga College Mwiri, he recommitted his life to Christ, became active in Scripture Union and developed a deeper understanding of God’s Word.
Discovering his calling
Not long after giving his life to Christ, Kiyingi felt a strong desire to serve God through music. Joining the school choir, however, was far from easy.
“People laughed at me. They told me I had no talent and advised me to quit singing,” he says.
Instead of giving up, he spent evenings singing alone among the trees near the school chapel. Day after day, he practised until his voice improved.
Within a year, the same student who had been ridiculed was elected choir leader.
He also discovered a passion for songwriting, writing his first song while still in Senior One. During his Senior Four vacation, he formed a music group called I Am Family with six friends before they later pursued different paths in life.
After university, Kiyingi was retained as a lecturer. His salary enabled him to record his debut album in 2004. He also earned income producing advertising jingles for companies such as MTN and Coca-Cola, using much of it to support his growing music ministry.
His journey later took him from Miracle Centre Cathedral to Gospel Healing Centre under Bishop Makumbi, where he continues to serve.
More than music
Kiyingi’s ministry has extended beyond the pulpit. Together with Dr Isaac Mubezi, whom he had led to Christ while they were students, he helped establish the HHC Open Healing Centre in Iganga District through Something Deeper Ministries. The hospital has served rural communities for seven years.
A defining moment came in December 2005 during a visit to Nairobi, Kenya. Kiyingi says God burdened his heart with the need to teach believers the true meaning of worship.
“The Lord showed me that many people know how to sing, but few understand what worship really is,” he says.
The conviction was so strong that he resigned from his lecturing job and committed himself fully to discipleship, despite the financial uncertainty that followed.
Since then, he has written books including Worship Beyond the Song and Spirit of Worship, launched the annual Worship Minister Summit and recently started Tenzi Ministries, a school dedicated to raising biblically grounded worshippers.
Walking by faith
Today, Kiyingi says he is content because his focus is no longer on popularity or competition.
“I am running my own race to please God. What has changed my life is not being known as a good singer, but seeing lives transformed through what God has done with the gift He gave me,” he says.
Over the past 20 years, he has mentored many worship leaders across Uganda and the region, including Ivan Akasima, Exodus, Reagan, Brian Lubega, Gad Nishimwe and Manirambo.
Looking back, he believes every opportunity has come through obedience to God’s voice. He recalls how a simple decision to attend a church conference unexpectedly opened the door to minister in Nigeria. On another occasion, organising a poorly attended worship event in Bulenga eventually led to an invitation to preach in Botswana.
For Kiyingi, those moments have reinforced one lesson.
“Sometimes what God asks you to do will not make sense. But I have learnt that it is always better to follow His leading. He has never failed me, and He never will.”
